Legal reform for cops, prosecutors, and judges
The criminal justice system has historically produced unequal outcomes for African Americans through overpolicing, sentencing disparities, underprotection, and systemic biases. My official stance focuses on balanced reforms that ensure both public safety and civil rights, alongside investments in community systems that reduce violence without perpetuating structural harm.
Position: Police departments must operate with transparent standards, community oversight boards, and mandated use-of-force reporting.
Rationale: African American communities often face both excessive force and insufficient protection. Oversight improves trust and public safety outcomes.
Recommended Action: Establish civilian-led review boards with subpoena power at the municipal level.
Position: Redirect policing resources away from minor infractions and toward serious crimes, violence interruption, and community-based intervention efforts.
Rationale: African Americans are disproportionately stopped, searched, and charged for low-level offenses that do not improve safety.
Recommended Action: Implement citation-first systems for low-level offenses and shift certain responsibilities to mental health or social response teams.
Position: Mandatory minimums, three-strikes laws, and disparate drug sentencing must be eliminated or rewritten.
Rationale: Black defendants receive longer sentences for the same crimes compared to other groups, contributing to multigenerational instability.
Recommended Action: Federal and state legislative reform to remove mandatory minimums and reevaluate sentencing guidelines.
Position: Reduce prison populations through rehabilitation-first models, expanded probation options, and support for reentry programs.
Rationale: Incarceration without rehabilitation fails to reduce crime and increases long-term societal costs.
Recommended Action: Fund educational, vocational, and therapeutic programs in correctional facilities; expand community-based sentencing alternatives.
Position: Non-police safety systems—such as violence interrupters, behavioral crisis responders, and youth mentorship networks—should work alongside traditional policing.
Rationale: Evidence shows that community organizations can reduce violence more effectively than punitive-only approaches.
Recommended Action: Fund local organizations to create hybrid safety models that include prevention, intervention, and crisis response.
Position: African Americans deserve equal access to legal representation, protection against discriminatory policing, and guaranteed due process.
Rationale: Many injustices occur because defendants lack resources, knowledge, or strong representation.
Recommended Action: Expand public defender budgets, legal aid foundations, and civil rights enforcement offices at state and federal levels.